Yield to Callers (Don’t over talk or interrupt)

I couldn’t remember the last time I got a really good photo of my daughter, other than the many snaps I take on my phone, so yesterday I grabbed my camera and had Lauren join me in the front yard.

“In front of the bird bath,” I told her. “That way the evergreen will be in the background, and it will be gorgeous.” She’s 16, and that means she’s tethered to her phone. Instead of posing for me, my daughter posed for the camera on her phone. Her smile was real and perfect. Her eyes lit up, and she was clearly enjoying the photo shoot, her photo shoot. Alas, the “Selfie Generation.”

I was just about to tell my daughter to put her phone down and to focus her eyes on my camera because, after all, that is why we are out here. But I could see she loved the moment. I know from experience that my kids hate posing for my camera. So, instead of directing the photo shoot, instead of telling her to put her phone away, I simply yielded.

I yielded, and I took photos of her taking selfies. It’s not the portrait I envisioned, yet it was perfect. I captured my 16 year old doing what she does. By yielding to her, I gave her a better experience, and I got a good capture of who she is. I captured an image that will bring back happy memories years later.

Yield to Callers (Don’t over talk or interrupt) Video

Thinking about yielding to my daughter reminds me of a training point I will make with a client later today. When I monitored calls for this client, I noted several occasions where employees talked over customers. Frequent interruptions and not allowing callers to finish statements led to the perception of rude and over-bearing employees.

When I speak to my client, I will remind the group to focus on yielding to customers. I will tell them:

Allow customers to finish sentences

If you accidentally interrupt a caller, apologize

Even when you know within a second or two that the call will need to be transferred, allow the caller to finish their statement before making the transfer

Yielding to my daughter gave both she and I a fun experience. Yielding to callers makes customers feel heard, respected and understood. Over talking and interrupting leaves customers with an unpleasant feeling. Don’t be overbearing. Don’t interrupt. Don’t over talk customers. Yield and the experience will be more friendly and pleasant for customers.

Now you can get even more tips for the telephone call flow! Sign up for my free on-demand webinar and learn 4 ways to establish rapport with callers, discover Disney’s “3 o-clock Parade” strategy and see what Gumby can teach you about the telephone customer experience. Watch this 60-minute video now or share it with your employees.